New Hampshire woman relieved to get refund for postponed Aerosmith concert

SEABROOK, NH – Phyllis Willett lives for legendary live music. And what is more iconically New England, than a farewell tour of its most famous band?

“I’ve seen Aerosmith before; I even saw Steven Tyler at Market Basket in Portsmouth. But to see them in concert on New Year’s Eve; Rent a room down there, it would have been a great celebration!” the Seabrook woman said.

Aerosmith tour postponed   

But after Steven Tyler announced a vocal cord injury last September, the tour was postponed – with the Boston show bumped a year.

“I was going to go with my twin brother. My twin brother passed away unexpectedly January 8. That’s a no-go. Now I don’t even want to go,” she explained.

Phyllis had spent close to $1800 for the two Ticketmaster tickets, on a resale site with different rules: no refunds on postponed or rescheduled shows. She was told she’d have to resell them herself, but she doesn’t even own a computer.

“Unlike buying through an official channel, third party sites may have weaker refund and buyer protection policies. In this situation specifically no one is wrong. It’s a set of circumstances that no one could foresee,” said Paula Fleming of the Better Business Bureau. 

Full refund from third party website

WBZ contacted Ticketmaster, and Tickets-Center.com where the purchase occurred. After explaining the sensitive situation, Tickets-Center.com responded:

“In addition to the full refund, we would like Phyllis to keep the tickets. We want her to consider attending the concert as a tribute to her twin brother’s memory, a celebration of the bond she shared, and a step towards healing.”

Now after months of worry, countless calls and e-mails, and a trip to her credit union, Phyllis finally feels relief.

“Me not knowing there was a third party involved just made it even tougher on me. I’m just grateful I met you and WBZ did something for me,” Phyllis said happily.